Augustus appointment a done deal

Politicians are adept at playing coy, and City Manager Edward M. "Caesar" Augustus is no exception.

"I'm just focused on doing this job," he told me Tuesday. "They haven't even laid out the process yet."

The process to which he refers is the procedure for selecting a city manager when Augustus' term expires Oct. 3. And allow me to make a bold prediction: Unless Augustus is caught tinkering with traffic lanes on Belmont Street, or unless Konnie Lukes stabs him 23 times — wait, sorry, that was Julius Caesar — that process will be lackluster. For better or worse, stick a fork in the alleged search, because it's done. Hail, Caesar!

This is a curious state of affairs, because when the council wanted to appoint Augustus last month to succeed Michael O'Brien, pushback came from those who believed the council was conspiring to ram through a political insider without proper vetting or community input. So, to placate the critics, Augustus announced he would serve for only nine months, to give the council time to select his successor.

"I wanted to make sure people knew this wasn't a ploy," he told me, in a column Dec. 5. "I just wanted to take it off the table."

Consider it back on the table, even though an anoint-Augustus move is spearheaded by none other than Steve Quist, aka "Q," who calls himself a "community activist" because it sounds better than "Internet troll." A regular poster on Internet sites, the erratic Quist virtually assured the demise of the proposed slots parlor by promptly declaring himself in favor of it and setting up a Facebook page. Now, Quist has launched a similar effort for poor Augustus, which only shows that, contrary to widespread belief, you can't always pick your friends.

"This was a shock to me," Augustus said of the effort. "I would keep the door open, but if it means my integrity would be questioned, I wouldn't."

Quist isn't the only one who wants Augustus to stay on. Despite the fact that the disqualification of Augustus for re-appointment is written into his contract, distinct mumblings can be heard around City Hall: Well, he really is awfully qualified. And he's right here under our collective nose, so...

As noted, Augustus was coy, or perhaps conflicted, when I asked about his intentions.

"The council hasn't asked me," he demurred. "It's like reacting to something that's not real ... I'm not ready to make that decision."

He added, "It seems presumptuous to turn down an offer that hasn't been made." He also said he's been "led to believe" that the contract "may not be binding," which is likely true.

Language disqualifying Augustus was placed in the contract at the insistence of Councilor Lukes, who didn't just fall off the turnip truck and likely suspected what her colleagues were up to.

"If he wants to put a stop to the talk, he should do it right now," Lukes said this week. "I'm a little confused why we would say one thing and do another."

Lots of people like and respect Augustus, myself among them. As a former state senator and college administrator, he's earned a reputation as an honest, ethical guy who's adept at bringing people together.

But this is about process, not personalities. Personally, I believe it was rash and premature of Augustus to take himself out of the running for the permanent post, rather than calculating. Critics would call it disingenuous or worse.

Either way, unfortunately, it only feeds the public's perception that, when it comes to politics, the fix is in and words don't matter. That's never the best way to begin a new reign, whether in ancient Rome or here in Worcester.